Combustion
by HartnellTroughton
Summary: The Doctor, Jo and UNIT are investigating strange cases of spontaneous human combustion, but soon they will face something more dangerous than a human combustion.
1. Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who**

* * *

><p><strong>Part 1<strong>

In Liverpool, there have been many reports about people being burned alive with no explanations. People are claiming it to be spontaneous human combustion and the whole city is under a state of panic. After a week of a citywide panic, a group of hooded figures appear and they claim that they have a way to stop the spontaneous human combustion with a "miracle pill". This made the people want to buy them and they buy everything the hooded figures has to give. But the miracle pill only work on some people and most people who took them are immediately burned by spontaneous human combustion. The city respond to this by banning the pills and people are back into constant panic, but some are still selling the miracle pill.

In a bar, a frightened young man heads inside looking for someone who still has some miracle pills with them. "Do you know where he is?" the man asked someone in the bar and he pointed to a hooded figure sitting in the corner. The young man heads to the figure and sits right in front of him.

"I take it that you're here for you know what." the hooded figure said.

"You damn right you know what I want. So where is it?" the young man said. The hooded figure gives the young man a miracle pill and the young man quickly grabs it from the table.

"Are you sure you want to use it?"

"Of course I want to take this no matter what. This spontaneous human combustion has frightened me since it first started."

"Are you really sure?"

"Of course I want to use them. Stop asking me questions." the young man said as he leaves the bar with the hooded figure smiles underneath the hood. The young man looks around to see if the police are nearby. When the takes the pills, he suddenly feels something burning inside him and the man quickly got burn alive.

The hooded figure exits the bar and prod his feet on the ashes of the young man. "I tried to warn you not to take those pills." the hooded figure remarked.

* * *

><p>In UNIT Headquarters, the Doctor is still working on the TARDIS console in hopes of getting out of his exile that the Time Lords set on him. But sadly, The Doctor's attempts have failed every time he has it right. After yet another failed attempt, the Doctor's hums a little tune as continues on what he's doing for UNIT.<p>

"Seriously, can you spend at least one week without trying to blow yourself up by fixing your blue box?" Jo Grant said.

"I never give up, Jo. Maybe the next one might work."

"Mmmhmm. Like when you took the Master's dematerialization gizmo or whatever a while ago."

"His TARDIS is a very different model than mine's. His is a new type while mine is a discontinued model."

The Brigadier comes in and finds the Doctor covered in black smears all over his face. "Did he try to fix the TARDIS again, Miss Grant?" the Brigadier asked Jo.

"Yes, he did." she replied.

"Seriously Doctor, could just stop working on your ship or whatever it is without ever blowing yourself up?"

"Never. I will never stop working even if it means I have to keep working here for the rest of my lifespan." the Doctor said.

"Don't you think I remember your little remark after you claim that you travel to another dimension. Anyway, I'm here to give you your next mission." the Brigadier said as he hands the Doctor a folder.

"What is it this time?"

"The city of Liverpool are having reports about people being spontaneously combusted over there."

"Spontaneous human combustion. I thought it it was just a hoax."

"Apparently not, Doctor. It's been going for almost two weeks now."

"Then why didn't they come to us sooner?"

"The mayor of Liverpool tried to keep the citizens calm without calling for military force. Unfortunately, that didn't work."

"Well, if there's really spontaneous human combustion happening here in Liverpool, then there's something unusual happening. Come on, Jo, we've got work to do." the Doctor said.

* * *

><p>The Doctor and Jo hopped on Bessie and drove to Liverpool with the Brigadier and Sgt. Benton drove in front of them. When they arrived in Liverpool, the Doctor and UNIT find the streets of Liverpool empty while some of the people hid behind the covers of their home. There were also people looking strange to the oncoming UNIT vehicles in the streets.<p>

"Wow, in this current state, Liverpool is like a ghost town." Jo said.

"That's what fear does to people, Jo." the Doctor said, "It will either make them afraid or make them angry. By the looks of this town, it's more like both."

The Doctor stopped Bessie near the port with a UNIT team, led by Captain Mike Yates, already setting up base. "Do you what cause those spontaneous combustion, Captain Yates?" the Brigadier asked.

"Nothing, as of yet, Brigadier." Captain Yates replied, "But we might find one of the causes. A week ago, a group of mysterious people claim that they have a miracle pill that will save them. Some of the users are okay, while some got unlucky."

"Did you test the people that survived?"

"We did. Apparently, they're perfectly fine and no signs of negative symptoms."

"What happens to the people that got unlucky?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, I'm glad you asked." Captain Yates led the group to small cage with a white mouse in it. "We already tested one of the pills on a previous mouse and it affected him negatively. Watch as I give him a miracle pill." Captain Yates feeded the mouse with a mircale pill and backed away as they wait for the effect to take place. After a few seconds, the mouse suddenly becomes combust from the pill.

"I can't believe it! it's as if the sellers are using the miracle pill for a quick buck!" Jo exclaimed.

"Or a sinister purpose." the Doctor said, "There's no way that a miracle pill will suddenly combust someone and left those who take it alive and well." Suddenly, they heard a noise coming from outside and the Brigadier saw a hooded figurerunning away.

"You. Stop running this instance!" the Brigadier shouted.

"Don't worry, Brigadier. I'll handle this one." the Doctor said and ran out of the UNIT base.

The hooded figure looked back to see if he's being followed. But the Doctor found a short cut and stopped the figure by flipping him to the ground. "It's too late. The eruption is about to begin." the hooded figure laughed with a feminine voice.

"What do yo mean 'eruption'? What are thos 'miracle pills' about?" the Doctor asked.

"Maybe this will answer your questions." the hooded figure said as she hold out her hands showing two eyes drew on each hand and the Doctor was surprised to see them.


	2. Part 2

**Part 2**

The hooded figure looked back to see if he's being followed. But the Doctor found a short cut and stopped the figure by flipping him to the ground. "It's too late. The eruption is about to begin." the hooded figure laughed with a feminine voice.

"What do yo mean 'eruption'? What are those 'miracle pills' about?" the Doctor asked.

"Maybe this will answer your questions." the hooded figure said as she hold out her hands showing two eyes drew on each hand and the Doctor was surprised to see them.

The Doctor was about to pick up the hooded figure but was startled when he saw Sgt. Benton and two other UNIT soldiers almost shot her and the hooded figure once again ran. "For Pete's sake, Benton! Didn't I told all of you I will get her by myself." the Doctor said.

"Sorry, Doctor. The Brigadier ordered us to assist you." Benton said.

"Thanks to all of you, the person got away again. Now come on all of you, we better go back to base." the Doctor said and all of them walked back to the temporary UNIT base.

In the UNIT base, Jo looked at the miracle pills UNIT has confiscated earlier while the Brigadier is talking with Captain Yates. When they saw the Doctor back at the headquarters, the Doctor looked really disgruntled. "Did you apprehend the mysterious person?" the Brigadier asked.

"No I didn't capture the person in question. No thanks to you." the Doctor said.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. But you must be assisted in apprehending someone even if the person is unarmed."

"Well, luckily for you, I remember what the person looked like before she ran away."

"It's a female then?"

"Yes. But I don't think she's the only here in Liverpool."

"How does the person looked like?"

"Don't know. She kept her hood on, but I remember that she has eyes painted in each of her palms."

"You mean she's part of a cult?" Jo asked.

"Sort of. She mentioned that the eruption is coming. Captain, is Liverpool built under a volcano?" the Doctor asked Captain Yates.

"No, Doctor. Liverpool and the island of Britain are mostly volcano free." Captain Yates replied.

"Just as I thought. Jo, stay with me here to analyze more of the so called spontaneous human combustion while you, Brigadier, you do some scouting." the Doctor said.

"Affirmative. You hear the Doctor, scout the streets of Liverpool for any unusual occurrence." the Brigadier ordered his men.

"Yes, sir." Sgt. Benton followed and he and the Brigadier exited the base.

"We better hurry Jo, try to scan any of those miracle pills and find out where it came from and how is made." the Doctor said and Jo followed.

* * *

><p>With the streets of Liverpool were mostly empty due to paranoia from the spontaneous human combustion, UNIT had an advantage of scouting the streets without causing a public disturbance. The Brigadier and Sgt. Benton walked around while other UNIT forces were in stealth mode in alleyways or behind market stands. So far, they haven't found anything unusual yet.<p>

"Have you founded the mysterious person yet?" the Brigadier asked through the radio.

"No sign of her. The only subjects we saw are only us, Brigadier." a UNIT force replied.

"Well keep looking. The mayor mostly put the city in lock down just for us. There's nowhere she might have escape Liverpool."

"I don't trust this at all. It seems that this cult or whatever wouldn't let this happen." Benton said.

"We must keep our eyes strong, Benton. Even in the most quiet situations, there's something big about to happen."

Suddenly, the Brigadier and his forces felt a small shaking around Liverpool. Luckily, there's were no citizens panicking out on the streets. Benton and a few UNIT soldiers locked their weapons around them to check if there was a monster coming towards them.

"I guess there's going to be an eruption coming." Benton said.

"You're right. We must stop this before it devastates the entire planet. Get me any geologist who lives in this city to scan any volcanic activity under Liverpool." the Brigadier ordered.

"Yes sir." Benton followed and went to any houses he could find.

* * *

><p>Back in the temporary UNIT base, the Doctor, Jo and Captain Yates were still checking on the miracle pills and also the ashes of the people that were combusted. "Do you find any readings yet, Jo?" the Doctor asked.<p>

"Nothing yet." Jo replied, "How about you?"

"Yes I think I might have found something. I noticed that the ashes of combusted humans are very unusual. It seems that spontaneous human combustion is caused by some unearthly forces and what seems fascinating about it is that the spontaneous human combustion is more like an accident."

"What do you mean, Doctor." Captain Yates asked.

"Think of it as more of an experiment gone wrong. It means the the spontaneous human combustion wasn't suppose to happen. Jo, did you find out what miracle pills are made up?"

"The machine is receiving now, Doctor." Jo said. The scanner printed out the results of the miracle pill and Jo read the results. "This doesn't seem right."

"What is it?" Captain Yates asked.

"It seems the miracle pill is made out of a magma based substance."

"Just as I thought." the Doctor said, "Captain Yates, warn the Brigadier that we're up against a greater threat."

"Will do." Captain Yates said and left the base.

"Jo, come with me. I think where we could find the makers of this pill."

"Will do." Jo said.

The Doctor and Jo hopped on Bessie and drove to a cavern that's near to Liverpool. When they arrived, they felt a really hot air inside the caverns. The Doctor scanned the area and found some life forms inside the caverns.

"I thought Captain Yates said that there are no volcanoes in Britain." Jo said.

"There really is no volcanoes in Britain." the Doctor said, "Apparently this one appeared a little while ago and this one is man made." The Doctor and Jo entered the caverns and the Doctor took out a flashlight to light the way. They soon found themselves in an edge of a cliff in the cavern and the fall looked very deep. "Watch your step, Jo." the Doctor told her. Suddenly, another shaking occurred and the Doctor fell off the cliff.

"DOCTOR!"


	3. Part 3

**Part 3**

The Doctor and Jo entered the caverns and the Doctor took out a flashlight to light the way. They soon found themselves walking in a edge of a cliff in the cavern and the fall looked very deep. "Watch your step, Jo." the Doctor told her. Suddenly, another shaking occurred and the Doctor fell off the cliff.

"DOCTOR!" Jo shouted.

Jo started to feel scared without the Doctor by her side until she heard a familiar voice. "Jo?" the voice called out.

Jo looked around to see where the voice came from. "Doctor? Where are you?" she asked.

"I'm down here." the Doctor said.

Jo turned around and saw the Doctor hanging at the side of the cliff. "Oh, it's good to see you alive, Doctor." she said.

"As do I. Now could you help me get up?" the Doctor told her. Jo bend down gently and pick up the Doctor from the cliff side. "Thank you for saving me, Jo." he said. The Doctor suddenly could see little light right near them. "Did you bring a flashlight, Jo?" he asked.

"No, I didn't bring any flashlight with me. I thought you had a flashlight."

"No, I dropped mine when I almost fall down."

Suddenly, the Doctor and Jo saw a woman in a red hood with white paint and black linings all around her face. "The high priestess will see you now, Time Lord." she told him.

"Should we follow her?" Jo asked.

"We have to. Meeting the high priestess will get this finish." the Doctor said.

"Are you coming or what, Time Lord? The high priestess is getting impatient." the woman said.

"Alright, alright. We're coming. You don't need to hassle us." the Doctor said and he and Jo followed the mysterious person.

* * *

><p>Back in Liverpool, the Brigadier and Sgt. Benton are still investigating and they still couldn't find anything unusual in the city. "Anything yet, sergeant?" the Brigadier asked.<p>

"Nothing yet. This scouting mission is getting more tiring and we're mostly wasting time." Benton said with a binoculars on.

"Have you found any geologist yet?" the Brigadier asked a UNIT soldier through the communicator.

"Sorry sir. But the nearest geologist is 50 miles away from Liverpool. It might take time." the UNIT soldier said.

"Don't worry. I'm sure the Doctor will find a way." the Brigadier said. Soon, the Brigadier and Sgt. Benton saw Captain Yates running to them with a piece of paper in his hand. "Captain Yates, what have you got for us this time?" the Brigadier asked.

"An urgent message from the Doctor." Yates replied and gave the paper to the Brigadier. The Brigadier looked at the paper and found really shocking details that was written on the paper.

"What is it?" Benton asked.

"If what the Doctor said is right, we're surely in major trouble. Captain, notify the mayor to evacuate everyone in Liverpool out of here."

"Will do." Yates replied.

"I think that we're already in trouble." Benton said.

"What makes you say that?" the Brigadier asked.

Benton pointed on an oncoming monster in front of them. The monster is covered in magma but also had rock as an armor. When the monster saw UNIT forces and charged at them, but they quickly dodged him. Sgt. Benton tried to shoot down the monster, but the bullets seem unaffected for the monster.

"Geez, when can we have monster that is affected by our bullets?" Benton asked.

"I always ask the same question." the Brigadier remarked.

"So what is that fiend?"

"It seems to be the threat the Doctor warned me about. And probably the cause of the spontaneous human combustion."

"So how do stop it?"

"I'm still not quite sure. Even a water pistol couldn't stop him." The Brigadier stopped talking when he dodged a molten lava that was thrown by from the monster's hands. "The only thing we could think right now is to stall the monster some time and prevent any casualties."

"Let's just hope the Doctor has found a way to stop it." Benton said.

* * *

><p>The hooded woman led the Doctor and Jo to a room with many other hooded women chanting around the bonfire. On a platform near the bonfire, a live figure with a head that looks like she's been burned sat on a throne like chair, but partially weak to move or do anything. Next to a figure is a hooded woman that serves the figure as the speaker for it. The figure saw the Doctor arriving the room and it partially smiled at him.<p>

"Who are these people, Doctor?" Jo asked.

"A very old religious group, Jo." the Doctor replied, "They go back as the time the Roman Empire was just flourishing."

"You mean like the cult you mentioned earlier?"

"Yes they are."

The burned figure leaned towards it's speaker's head and whispered something to her. "Ah, the Time Lord known as the Doctor." the speaker said, "The high priestess and my sisters welcomes you to our domain."

"I already know that you caused all this spontaneous human combustion, Sibylline Sisterhood. A cult of Soothsayers from ancient Rome and the cause of Pompeii."

"It was not caused by us, Doctor. You caused it and you will later on in your life during your darkest time."

"Why are still active?"

"We're a second wave of the Sibylline Sisterhood. We believe that we are the ancestors of the original sisterhood and find the island of Britain to be a suitable home for us."

"Why are working with the Pyrovilles?"

"They've been working with the sisterhood since the beginning. We find some criminal refugees who were escaping from Pyrovillia."

"And what about the spontaneous human combustion that's been happening?" Jo asked.

"They were mostly to see if they could fit for a human and Pyrovile hybrid. We first tested the waters of Liverpool and it was a moderate success due to the fear of the people that made the experiment almost fail. The Pyroviles then created the pills as a 'treatment' for the combustions and it was a success."

"You can't experimentally crossbreed another species. It will cause some catastrophic events."

"We will, Doctor. And there's nothing you can do to stop us." The Sibylline Sisterhood started chanted and held out the painted eyeballs to the bonfire and a violent shaking is happening.

"What is happening, Doctor?" Jo asked.

"Preparing for something worse."

* * *

><p>Miles away, the Brigadier and Benton are still stalling the Pyrovile while Mike Yates and the mayor of Liverpool led the evacuation. "We can't keep doing this all day!" Benton said as he tried to shoot the Pyrovile.<p>

"Don't worry. I think he's about to be tired by now." the Brigadier said. Just then, they saw some of the people who are evacuating Liverpool felt something weird and the next thing the Brigadier and Benton knew, they started to turn into Pyroviles.


	4. Part 4

**Part 4**

The Sibylline Sisterhood started chanted and held out the painted eyeballs to the bonfire and a violent shaking is happening.

"What is happening, Doctor?" Jo asked.

"Preparing for something worse."

* * *

><p>Miles away, the Brigadier and Benton are still stalling the Pyrovile while Mike Yates and the mayor of Liverpool led the evacuation. "We can't keep doing this all day!" Benton said as he tried to shoot the Pyrovile.<p>

"Don't worry. I think he's about to be tired by now." the Brigadier said. Just then, they saw some of the people who are evacuating Liverpool felt something weird and the next thing the Brigadier and Benton knew, they started to turn into Pyroviles.

The people of Liverpool also saw this and they ran out of the city as fast as they could. Other UNIT forces responded quickly and tried to lead the converted Pyroviles out of the city as best they could. But one of the pyroviles hit some of the UNIT forces and all of the Pyroviles escape.

"Just when you thought you it could get easier, danger finds a way to make the situation harder." the Brigadier remarked. He later saw Captain Yates running to him as he dodged the Pyroviles. "Did you get everyone out of Liverpool?" he asked.

"Yes sir. With the exception of ones turned into the monsters, everyone quickly left the city." Captain Yates replied.

"Good, let's just hope the Doctor is able to solve our problem now."

* * *

><p>In the caverns, the Doctor and Jo watched as the Sibylline Sisterhood continued chanting the spell of turning humans into Pyroviles. "The eruption has begun, Doctor. And there's nothing you can do to stop it and the conversion of the human race." the speaker for the high priestess said. The Doctor quickly got a device from his pockets to try and reverse the sisterhood's conversion. But the speaker of the high priestess shot it right off the Doctor's hand with a fireball.<p>

"I always thought I have the fastest hands when it comes to drawing something out of my pockets." the Doctor remarked.

"You thought it will be that easy, Doctor. Well, see if you find this easy." The Sibylline Sisterhood started a new chantings which caused a giant Pyrovile right behind the high priestess.

"That's the biggest monster I have ever seen." Jo said.

"Oh, with him that size, I say he's about he's almost done with his teen years." the Doctor remarked.

"The world will burn and reborn from the ashes." the Sibylline priestess said. "We have envision a perfect utopia for a new race of humans and we will watch them flourish. Join us, Doctor. You and your friend will survive the new world."

"Never! Even if your plan is a peaceful solution, I will never join something that makes people unwillingly change into a species of destruction."

"Then so be it." The Sibylline priestess ordered the giant Pyrovile to grab the Doctor which leaves Jo the only one standing.

"Jo, get out of here and warn the Brigadier about the Sibylline Sisterhood." the Doctor told her.

Jo nodded and tried to leave the place but the Pyrovile blocked the exit. "This is your last chance, mortal. Join us and we leave the Doctor unharm." the priestess said.

Jo remembered that she brought along the miracle pills with her since the Doctor told her to bring it. She looked at the bonfire and thought of something that might endanger them both or won't work at all. Jo took a step closer to priestesses and threw the bag of miracle pills into the bonfire.

"No, Jo!" the Doctor shouted as she threw them.

The priestesses tried to get the miracle pills out the fire, but it was too late. The miracle pills turned into ashes instantly. The caverns started violently rumbling and the giant Pyrovile crumbled into dust and the Doctor fell to ground alive.

"How did you know those pills will lead to their downfall?" the Doctor asked her.

"I... don't know really. I think it's because I don't want them to use those miracle pills for their master plan."

The caverns continued to rumble and the place is starting to fall apart. "You! Don't you know what have you done!" the Sibylline priestess sneered at Jo, "This isn't over, Doctor. We will meet again soon enough." The Sibylline Sisterhood raised their arms up and started to disappear along with the high priestess.

"Wait!" the Doctor said as he tried to stop them from disappearing, but they already left as the Doctor ran to the spot where they stood.

"Doctor, we have to leave this place now!" Jo exclaimed.

"Right. Right. I almost forgot. Come on, Jo." the Doctor told her.

The Doctor and Jo ran quickly as fast as they could to get out of the caverns and dodged every falling debris that goes in their way. When they left the caverns, they saw the mountain fell down to the ground. The Doctor looked around and found no trace of the Sibylline Sisterhood and the Pyroviles' remains of their lair in the rubble of the caverns.

"At least we didn't cause a volcano eruption." Jo said.

"Yes. The only thing that might cause more destruction than some combustions is us causing a volcano eruption." the Doctor said, "Now come on, we have to meet with the Brigadier."

* * *

><p>Back in the Liverpool streets, some UNIT forces tried to shoot some of the converted Pyroviles, but it still didn't have any effect on them. While the Brigadier, Sgt. Benton, and Captain Mike Yates try to lead some of the Pyroviles out of town. After doing that for almost 15 minutes, UNIT noticed that the Pyroviles were shaking weird. It was then that the Pyroviles were turned back to humans. The people looked like they didn't seem to remember that they were turned into Pyroviles once they were turned back to normal.<p>

"It seems to me that the Doctor has stopped them." Sgt. Benton said.

"It most certainly is." the Brigadier said, "Captain, tell the mayor that it is safe to come back and that they don't need to worry about any spontaneous human combustions anymore." the Brigadier told Mike Yates.

"Yes, sir." Captain Yates replied.

Just then, the Brigadier saw Bessie with the Doctor and Jo in the vehicle as they drove back to the city. When the Doctor and Jo came out of the vehicle, the Brigadier saw the two covered in smudges in their faces. "Good heavens, did you and Miss Grant left us and return back to UNIT HQ just so you could fix your blue box?" the Brigadier said.

"What makes say of that?" the Doctor sarcastically said, "Anyway, you don't to release your steam on us since we mostly save your skins today."

"Honestly, Doctor. I don't know why I give in to your remarks all the time." the Brigadier said and walked away.

"You know, if he holds his anger in all the time, he might have a spontaneous combustion." the Doctor joked.

"Oh, stop it now." Jo said and laughed.


End file.
